House on the Lake
by laceymay43
Summary: AU. Daryl finally leaves The Claimers and stumbles upon the mortuary he and Beth stayed at the night before she was taken.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

"Beth? Beth?!" he whispered "come on Beth, open your eyes, we gotta go."

It had been about two weeks since the night she was taken. Daryl, still lost and defeated had found some comfort in a group who called themselves 'The Claimers'. It was nice to not be alone, but he knew that eventually, he would have to leave. Deep inside he knew that he still needed to find her, something kept gnawing at him that she was alive. It was decided, tonight was the night that he was going to leave.

Suddenly a loud ear piercing whistle broke his train of thought, "Pull it in gents!" shouted Joe. Daryl looked up and noticed that they had wandered into a small neighborhood. The streets lined with house after house that all looked the same, cars littered the streets, and the occasional walker could be seen just up ahead. "Let's each take a house, search it, an' meet back here. We're losin' light so make it quick." Daryl's eyes shot up, this was it, this was his moment to escape. He held back, waiting for the men to pick their houses. He watched as each one climbed up the front porch and cautiously peer inside. His heart pounding. One by one they made their way into the houses, all that remained was Joe. Daryl's heart felt like it was going to leap out of his chest, "c'mon, shut the damn door." he whispered, and then finally, he heard the familiar 'click' of the door latching.

He ran. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He didn't know where he was going, he just wanted to get as far away from The Claimers as he could. 'I'm comin' Beth, just hold on a little longer.' he thought to himself as his run turned into a jog, he hadn't even been paying attention to where he was running. When he finally looked around he had noticed that he was back in the woods, the old familiar woods that he and Beth had lived in for a few days after the prison was destroyed. Being there gave him some comfort, he was finally able to relax for the first time since she was taken. He went out and set a few traps to catch a rabbit or squirrel and made a small camp for the night, because in the morning, he was going to find her.

Sticks cracked in the distance startling Daryl awake. He quickly grabbed his crossbow for fear that The Claimers had found him. Sitting as still as he could, movement caught his eye. Twisting fiercely, crossbow locked and ready to shoot, a mother deer and her fawn stepped out from behind the tree. She and Daryl made eye contact and neither of them moved, he finally lowered his bow and watched as the fawn leapt excitedly around the mother's gaze still fixed on Daryl. Finally she and the fawn moved along, Daryl gathered his things and off he went into the woods.

'You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone Daryl Dixon.' her voice rang in his ears. Why did he have to open that damn door? Why was he so stupid, how could he not have checked outside first? His thoughts kept him going. As mad as he was at himself for being so careless, the thought of Beth being alive and alone is what drove him. He couldn't believe how much he actually _did _miss her. She pushed him, she drove him crazy, she made him smile. Her warm face with those bright blue eyes, they were like magic. All she had to do was simply look at him and he'd let her do whatever she wanted. He even let her use his crossbow to learn how to shoot it, and no one touches his crossbow. He remembered that first time she held it, 'it's heavier than it looks! Quit your smirkin''as she almost dropped it to the ground, he chuckled to himself at the memory. She looked so awkward holding it, but was so determined to learn how to use it. She was so quiet back at the prison, he never would have thought that that girl back then would be who she is now. "Ah, son of a bitch!" he cursed as he tripped over something large and hard, he had been so entranced with his own thoughts that he hadn't realized he had stumbled upon a cemetery.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

He stood there twisting his ankle back and forth, 'seems ok' he thought as he looked around. He couldn't help but feel like he had been here before, his heart started pounding again as he looked up to see the small white mortuary that he and Beth had spent those last few days together in. He hesitated going in at first but then remembered that there was a food stash in there. He would grab what he needed and leave, those pigs feet did sound pretty good right now. Bow drawn he made his way to the front porch and quietly slipped inside. Once inside, he looked around and found the familiar piano that Beth had played for him, he missed her singing. Everything was just as it was the night they stayed there, so clean and neat, not a speck of dust on anything. His chest tightened and his heart raced. Where are the walker bodies? How is it still so clean? There had to have been at least a horde of 50 walkers that came through here. Someone had been here.

He drew his bow and listened. Not a sound. Room to room he went searching for someone, anyone who could be here. The kitchen still had the stash, although smaller now, he grabbed what he could; a jar of peanut butter and jam, a jar of pigs feet and one of the soda bottles. 'Time to go.' he thought, he didn't want to be around when whoever was tending to this place comes back. Walking back to the front door, the piano caught his eye once more. He stood remembering that night, remembering how he didn't want it to end, remembering Beth. 'Beth' He thought and his chest tightened. Something was telling him to look around and to do it quick. He slung his crossbow onto his back, quickly turned on his heels and went back into the house.

All the rooms on the main floor and the upstairs had been cleared, that just left the small basement where he got trapped last time. He stood at the top of the stairs and took a deep breath before descending into its darkness. Slowly he made the turn into the small dark room, the smell of the dusty dank room reminded him of when he bound Beth's ankle, maybe he could get some more medical supplies while here. It was too dark to see, luckily he found a flashlight while searching the upstairs rooms, he clicked the small light on. The metal gurneys he used for protection were no longer there, instead the room was empty, all but in one corner there was a pile of what looked like blankets. Thinking they could be useful to stay warm he went over and took them.

His heart lurched up into his throat, there she was, Beth. Lying unconscious and bound at the hands on the floor. A car's breaks squealed in the distance, panic started to set in. He kneeled down next to Beth's unconscious body trying to wake her.

"Beth? Beth?!" he whispered "come on Beth, open your eyes, we gotta go." Gently tapping her face with his fingers, she wouldn't wake. Knowing now that the asshole that kidnapped her brought her back here after Daryl went running after them, set a fire inside him. She was here the whole time. 'Fucking coward!' he thought. The sound of car doors slamming brought him back out of his rage, he had to get Beth out of here. He scooped her up in his arms and quietly waited at the bottom of the stairs. Sounds of footsteps echoed down the staircase, Daryl could hear them walking from room to room, his heart raced as he hoped they wouldn't come downstairs to check on their victim. The footsteps suddenly stopped, Daryl held his breath, slowly they resumed and the sound of them heading upstairs caused Daryl to exhale. This was his chance, he was going to run for the woods.

As fast and as quietly as he could, he made his way up the stairs and out the front door. He started heading towards the woods when the black car that had taken Beth caught his eye. 'You steal from me, I steal from you, asshole.' He thought as he loaded Beth into the front seat of the car. He quickly ran to the driver side, hotwired the car and peeled out of the gravel driveway. Adrenaline consumed him, he was silently screaming on the inside, he had found Beth.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

They had been driving for quite some time, Beth still asleep and Daryl enjoying a victorious pigs foot. It was about noon, the sun was shining with not a cloud in the sky, and the wind was blowing softly as Daryl drove down an abandoned road. The leaves rustled as the car drove over them, and for the first time in weeks, Daryl was happy. He glanced over at sleeping Beth; her hair gently blowing in the wind would catch the rays of the sun and seemed to glow, she was beautiful. Beth's eyes slowly parted open, Daryl's heart skipped a beat, she's finally awake.

"Hey" said Daryl almost in a whisper. Their eyes met for a brief moment and the corners of her mouth slightly turned upwards. She stared out the window smiling to herself, finally the nightmare was over.

"Where are we?" she asked, her voice was horribly hoarse, Daryl was sure she hadn't had much to eat or drink over these last few weeks. He handed her a small bottle of water that she quickly consumed.

"You'll see." He could see her watching him out of the corner or his eye and he couldn't help smile himself.

They only drove a few more miles before Daryl pulled the car off the road and onto a dirt trail, "Almost there." he said looking straight ahead "are you going to be ok to walk?"

Beth nodded "Of course." She was excited to see where they were going; hell any place would be better than the mortuary. The car weaved in and out of trees, the further in they went, the less room they had to drive, 'Where are we going?' she wondered.

"Alright, we gotta walk from here. We'll hide the car under branches in case we gotta make a run." Daryl almost seemed excited, his eyes glistened and there was almost a bounce to his step. He got out and ran around to Beth's side to open her door and help her out. "You sure you're ok to walk?" he asked, helping her out of the car, her warm hand inside his.

"Yes. I'm fine." She said with a smile, Daryl swears she even gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

They quickly covered the car with branches and leaves, gathered their supplies and started walking along the small trail that lead through the woods, if Beth hadn't been with Daryl, she probably wouldn't have even noticed it was there. The woods were quiet; all she could hear is the sound of their footsteps cracking the occasional branch, neither one of them spoke for quite some time. They enjoyed the silence, just being in each other's company was comforting, it was like they had never been apart.

"Well, here we are." Daryl said as he lifted a small branch up so Beth could duck underneath. As she stood her heart raced, there in front of her was a small wooden house. The house looked like it had been there for many years and that it had once been painted white, the small windows were still intact while the porch sagged. The woods surrounded it; it was so secluded, except for in the back. Her head peered around the house to find a large clearing, it looked like a good half an acre before a small hill and the woods took over the land again, she even saw a small lake.

"There's a lake." She said out of disbelief.

"Yeah, there's a crick up on that hill that feeds into the lake too." Daryl pointed out, "It's nice, right on the edge of the woods. I can hunt, fish… You can grow a garden over there by the lake," Beth's eyes followed as he pointed to a small shaded spot on the edge of the lake. "We can board this place up, it's quiet, secluded, we can make it work, we could live here." He said. He glanced at Beth who was still staring at the lake, a wave of fear rushed over him, had he just offended her? He couldn't lose her again. "… I mean, until you get better. Then we can always…"

"It's perfect." She turned to face Daryl, "I've always wanted a small house on a lake, ever since I was small." She buried herself into Daryl, her small arms wrapping around his waist. He tensed, stood there shocked, nervous, and happy; this affection always takes him by surprise. He slowly relaxed and encircled his arms around her, holding her tight. "It's perfect, Daryl."

He couldn't help but smile, "Let's get you inside, c'mon." He lead her inside, the house was small, only two bedrooms and a kitchen with a small place to eat and a bathroom. Lucky for them, the house was old enough that there was a wood burning stove, Beth was excited to be able to cook again.

"How'd you find this place?"

A look of sadness washed over him, "I found it when I was out looking for you." he said, giving her a sideways glance. Her heart pounded, there was a tense feeling in the air, Daryl shook his head and headed down the hall. They continued around the house, searching for items. Daryl went into on of the bedrooms, it was empty all but a bed and a small nightstand, he noticed a small wooden fireplace on the main wall. The blankets were thick and soft, the pillows inviting, he could hear Beth walking around the house. Upon opening the nightstand drawer, he froze, several colorful condoms were placed neatly on one side.

"Find anything?" she surprised him, he quickly slammed the drawer shut.

"Nah" he swallowed as his face flushed, "did you?"

"Nothing really, some matches and an old shirt." She said looking around the room, it was cozy, she smiled at the small fireplace. They made their way back to the kitchen to search the cupboards and drawers. They both met in the center as Beth opened one of the drawers, they both stared as a pair of scissors and a comb sat in the drawer.

"You ever cut someone's hair before? he asked, Beth smiled and nodded "you wanna give me a trim?" She chuckled and grabbed the small tools.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

They walked into the small bathroom, Beth handed Daryl one of the stools from the kitchen and he sat in front of the mirror. He couldn't believe how long his hair had gotten; he hadn't had it cut since all of this began.

"Do you wanna switch shirts into this old one that I found? Then you won't get hair on your good one." She said as she handed Daryl the tattered old flannel shirt, he nodded and stood to take off his vest and under shirt, that's when she noticed the scars. Her face dropped as she stared at the large purple marks, part of her wanted to reach out and touch them but she resisted and continued to trace them in her mind. Daryl looked up into the mirror and saw her face; he realized she'd seen them. Embarrassed, he quickly threw on the old flannel and sat back down.

"We still doin' this?" he hissed. Beth could tell he didn't want her to see that part of him and tried to pretend she hadn't.

"Only if you're sure, I can't guarantee how well this'll come out." She smiled.

He looked at her through the mirror and smirked. Beth picked up the comb and started brushing his hair, slowly starting at the top and working her way down, his hair was surprisingly soft. She watched his reflection in the mirror, his eyes gently closed with every brush stroke. Daryl never had his hair combed anyone else, it sent chills down his back as Beth grabbed the first lock of hair to cut. Her fingers so small, he watched as they ran through his hair. Every now and then they would make eye contact in the mirror, Beth would always smile, Daryl would just blush and look away.

"So, how'd you learn to cut hair?" he finally asked to break the awkward silence. Beth smiled and chuckled.

"Growing up on a farm definitely had its ups and downs," she started, still combing and cutting Daryl's hair "sometimes we'd have a bad season an' the crops just wouldn't grow, we'd end up being really poor for a while and I guess, I guess I just became the designated barber for the family." She had a small smile on her face as she remembered those days. "Well Mr. Dixon, you're done." She said as she brushed the last few hairs off his shoulders and onto the floor. Daryl stood up and looked in the mirror.

"Damn girl, not bad. Haven't had my hair cut in over two years now." He thought she did a great job; his hair hadn't been this short since everything happened, he smiled to himself, he actually enjoyed getting his hair cut. Beth gleamed with happiness, she watched as he would turn from side to side and run his fingers through his short hair, he was handsome with it short. "Oh, I got you something." He said as he started digging around in a small bag. "Here." He handed Beth two small bottles

"Oh my God! Where did you find this?!" She exclaimed. She held out in front of her the small bottles, one being shampoo and one conditioner. She thought she would never see these items again.

"I found it on a run a while ago, thought you might like it." He smirked

"I'm goin' to the lake right now!" Beth ran with a smile down to the lake, at the water's edge, she first kicked off her boots and socks then stripped down to her underwear, she pulled her hair tie out and set it on the toe of her boot. She slowly walked up to the lake and put one foot in, it was cold, but it felt amazing. She slowly walked in and let the water rise up over her body she could smell the grass and mud as she leaned her head back into the water. Daryl had walked up and was standing on the edge of the lake, he watched as Beth emerged from the water with sopping wet hair. She gently squeezed the shampoo into her hand and rubbed them together.

"Oh my God," she said as she inhaled deeply "this smells amazing, I could eat it!" she started lathering her hair when she noticed Daryl "ain't you coming in?" She smiled as she tossed the shampoo bottle to him.

"You sayin' I stink?"

"No! I'm just sayin' that you just got your hair cut, you're gonna want to wash off otherwise you'll get all itchy… But yes, you stink." She laughed. Daryl smirked, he kicked off his shoes, threw his clothes on the ground and jumped in the lake making sure to splash Beth. They hadn't felt this good in a long time.

Daryl was the first to finish, he sat on the grass in the warm fall sun watching Beth, she had washed her hair twice. Finally she emerged from the water, Daryl's face dropped as he saw the marks and bruises covering her body. Wringing out her hair she joined Daryl on the grass.

"You ever gonna tell me what happened?" He asked as he gently touched her bruised back. Beth's face turned dark, tears welled in her eyes.

"What do ya want me to tell, Daryl hmm?" She shouted "you want me to tell you how I was tied up? Starved? Beaten? Forced to do things that I didn't want to do?" tears began streaming down her face; Daryl's heart ached "I wished every night to die, Daryl. I didn't think I'd ever see you, or anyone, ever again." He couldn't stand it anymore, he grabbed her and hugged her as tight as he could. He had to make sure that she knew, he would never leave her again.

"I'm so sorry Beth," he gasped with tears slowly rolling down his face "I should have never opened that damn door. It's all my fault! I shouldn't have left you!" Beth was able to wiggle out of his hug just enough to see his face. She'd never seen him cry before. She put her forehead to his and gently wiped the tears from his face.

"This wasn't your fault, Daryl. You never left me; you were trying to save me. I shouldn't have gone so far from the house." They silently, holding each other in the warm sun, happy to be back with each other.

"We should probably head in, get a fire goin' and get you someth' to eat." Said Daryl helping Beth to her feet. He handed her her clothes and hair tie, they both dressed and headed inside.


	5. Chapter 5

**I can't believe all of the love and support that I have been getting for this FanFic. It is my very first one and can't thank you all enough for liking, favoriting and sharing this story. I hope you like this next chapter as much as the others. **

**Much Love xx  
**

* * *

CHAPTER 5

Smoke rose from the chimney as Beth started a small fire in the bedroom fireplace, Daryl dug through what was left of the food; he'd have to go hunting soon. Beth returned to Daryl placing a jar of peanut butter and a half empty bottle of soda on the table, for some reason, she couldn't help but smile.

"What's so funny? Daryl smirked

"Oh nothing, I was just admiring your haircut, Mr. Dixon." She said as she sat on one of the stools.

Daryl opened the peanut butter, "I even got you a spoon" he said handing Beth a small silver spoon. She smirked and snatched it from his hand. They were again quiet enjoying each other's company feasting on stale peanut butter and flat soda, Beth couldn't help but stare at him.

"So are you ever gonna tell me what happened?" She asked as she gently touched his back. Daryl stiffened and his face dropped. "You don't have to." she removed her hand and placed it in her lap, she was beyond embarrassed.

"Life growin' up was rough." He said after what seemed like days of silence, "My dad, he liked to get drunk and have target practice in the house, sometimes I was the target. My mom could usually calm him down but she died when I was 8 and it jus' got worse. I finally ran away when I was about 12 and found Merle, we've been out here ever since." He never looked up from the table.

"I'm sorry Daryl; no one should have to go through that." She reached over and grabbed his hand fighting back tears; he slowly raised his head and smirked.

"Yeah, well, I'm gonna have to start huntin' soon, we're runnin' low on food." He stood and peered out the window "it's gettin' dark, you should get some rest." He said, his eyes meeting hers, God they were gorgeous, he flushed and quickly looked away. Beth walked down the small hallway and into the bedroom; it was warm and inviting with the fireplace going. She softly closed the bedroom door and shed her pants, allowing them to fall to the floor. She pulled down the blankets and climbed in, soon she was fast asleep.

Daryl lay on the kitchen floor, trying to sleep. He thought he would be able to sleep a lot better now that he had found Beth, but for some reason his mind was racing. He lay awake staring at the ceiling; the moonlight eliminated the small room, it was so quiet. He closed his eyes, his hand resting on his forehead, and slowly started to drift off to sleep. Visions of Beth walking out of the lake started to enter his mind; he was sitting on the bank just staring at her. The way she looked in just her bra and panties made his heart race; there was a small pink flower in the center of her bra. She inched closer, half naked and wet, she knelt down in front of him, her small hand running through his hair. He started breathing heavier; he wanted to touch her so bad but couldn't bring himself to actually doing so. As she got closer, their eyes locked, her lips hovering just out of reach from his. He inched closer to close the gap when a blood curdling scream jolted him awake.

"Beth!" he shouted, he grabbed his crossbow and ran down the hall. He threw the bedroom door open and found Beth sitting up on the bed sobbing. "Hey," he whispered sitting on the edge of the bed "you alright?" Beth was shaking, he reached out and touched her forearm, she was ice cold.

"I… I'm sorry, just a bad dream." She panted. Daryl nodded and stood to leave the room so she could go back to sleep. He went to close the door when a small voice caught his attention. "Daryl?" she squeaked, he wasn't even sure if he had actually heard her or if it was just in his mind. He turned around; she was still sitting on the bed, knees bent up to her chest. "Will you stay with me?" she asked as a small tear rolled down her face.

Daryl sighed and nodded. He closed the door behind him and sat his crossbow on the nightstand next to the bed, he pulled a small wooden chair up to the side of the bed and sat down. As he looked up at Beth, he noticed she had scooted over and was holding the blankets up, inviting him in.

"Please?" She begged with watery eyes. Damn those eyes, he flushed, the fire cracked causing him to jump.

"O'course" he stood and removed his vest and shirt, kicked off his boots and climbed in. Beth immediately nestled up to his side as he lay on his back, he tensed at her touch, he could see her out of the corner of his eye. The fire light dancing on the side of her face, she brought her arm across his chest, the sweet smell of the coconut shampoo made him sigh and he finally relaxed.

"You ok?" she asked, he hadn't realized she was watching him.

"Yeah, just been a while, tha's all." He smirked, she wanted to have some witty comment to add to his statement but the soft sound of his beating heart lulled her to sleep.

The sun peered through the small bedroom window, the fire now embers. Beth laid on her side watching Daryl sleep. She smiled and giggled softly; he was lying on his stomach his face buried in the pillow and breathing deeply. The blanket covered the lower half of his back, leaving his scars exposed. She scooted closer, now just a few inches away from his face, he had long blond eyelashes. His eyes slowly parted open and he jumped at the sight of her.

"Jesus" he gasped "you always sleep that close to someone?" He rubbed his eyes and stretched.

"Never slept with anyone before." She admitted, he smirked and laid his head back on the pillow. "I saw 'em Daryl."

"Saw what?" he grunted as he rubbed his face into the pillow, he was obviously not a very good morning person.

"The condoms, in that drawer." She sat up and pointed, he froze and his face flushed. He turned to her, her hair was down and glowing, and then there were those damn eyes. They sent a wave of electricity through him and he had to look away. "You wanna?" she smiled inching closer. He didn't know what to say, of course he wanted to, it had been so long and she was so damn beautiful. He sat up and looked back at her, their eyes meeting, his heart raced as he stared into her eyes. She was no more than inch or two from his face, the smell of coconut invited him closer.

Finally their lips met. His facial hair scratched at her face, but she surprisingly liked it. His lips were soft, he reached up and softly touched her face. "Y'alright? You're shakin'." He asked "you sure about this?"

Beth nodded and smiled, "You're shakin' too."

"It's been a long, long time." He mumbled as she leaned into him, she softly kissed his shoulder and worked her way up. Kissing his collarbone, his neck, jaw and finally back to his lips. He reciprocated the kiss with more vigor, his hands holding her face, hers entangled in his hair. He laid her on the bed his weight holding her down. His hands caressed her body as he worked off her shirt, every touch sent chills throughout her body.

Her hands left his hair and traveled down his chest and torso to his belt; she tossed it to the floor and worked on the buttons. He knelt upright as she pulled them down, exposing him, her eyes widened. She looked up at him, her heart pounding and with shaky hands; she arched her back and unclasped her bra. He reached down and slid his hands underneath causing her to exhale; he kissed her neck as her hands roamed his back. He kissed her neck down to her collarbone, between her breasts and down her torso. He glanced up at her smiling as she watched him; he smirked as he gripped the waste of her panties and slowly slid them down.

She smiled and reached for him, her hands sliding up his chest and back into his hair, she pulled him in for another vigorous kiss. He pulled away briefly to grab one of the condoms from the nightstand. As he tore open the package, Beth stared as he gently rolled on the condom. He didn't return for a kiss, instead he reached down and grabbed Beth, pulling her up to sitting. Both sitting, staring at each other, she straddled him lowing herself onto him. His insertion caused Daryl to exhale and Beth to gasp, they both started rocking together, Daryl with his face against Beth's chest kissing her neck, her arms encircled his neck and head.

He almost couldn't take it anymore, he pulled her off of him, he had to lay her down. As she lay facing him, the sunlight eliminating her body he slowly pushed back in. The buildup was becoming more and more intense for Beth, she held Daryl as tight as she could, one hand in his hair, the other gripping his back. Finally she released, moaning loudly and arching her back, Daryl cursing with every movement. He finally collapsed against her, he was sweaty and heavy, they both lay there panting.

Daryl rolled over still panting and Beth nestled on his chest. "Holy shit." She exhaled, Daryl looked at her, smiled and laughed. "And what is so funny?" she said between breaths, she was too heavy to move.

"Nothin'" he said with a smirk as he kissed her hair.

Beth was slowly drifting off to sleep, "You know, I've never heard you laugh." She mumbled. Daryl just smiled, he couldn't believe what had just happened. He managed to slip out from under Beth who was now asleep. He dressed and grabbed his crossbow and headed for the door, a creak in the floor caused Beth to stir. "Where you goin'?" she asked still with her eyes closed.

"I'm gonna go get us a deer." He said, she soon fell back asleep and he wandered outside. The air was cool and the sun was bright, he threw his crossbow over his shoulder and headed off for the woods.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Beth woke a couple hours later; she couldn't believe how tired she was. She rolled over and stretched then slowly climbed out of the bed and slipped back into her clothes. Daryl wasn't back from hunting yet, she hoped he'd catch something soon, she was getting hungry. She walked outside, the sunlight was warm and the air smelled of autumn, she glanced over at the spot Daryl had pointed out for a garden and smiled. She could get that started while he was out. Grabbing her knife she headed to the north end of the lake, there was a small shed tucked away in the woods that held a small shovel.

The shovel dug deep into the soft earth, the smell of mud reminded her of the farm she used to live on. Before she knew it, Beth had made quite a large garden area. Feeling accomplished, she stepped back to admire her work, a branch cracking in the distance. She quickly spun around, she'd almost forgotten about the walkers lurking in the shadows. Another crack, with her eyes wide and knife in hand she waited for any movement.

"The hell you doin' out here Greene?" said Daryl as he appeared from behind a large tree "You should be inside where it's safe."

She sighed in relief, "I made a garden." She said proudly as she turned towards her hard work.

Daryl nodded, "It's crooked." Beth wrinkled her nose and mimicked him behind his back. "Sorry, no deer, they're out there though jus' gotta go earlier in the morning. I got some squirrels though." He said as he handed Beth 4 large grey squirrels.

"Maybe if you hadn't of spent all morning having sex…" Beth teased, Daryl flushed and looked away. Another crack in the woods made them both jump. Daryl with his crossbow drawn and Beth with her knife waited patiently. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, Beth was so focused on the woods in front of her that she didn't realize Daryl was tapping her shoulder. She looked up at him, his finger to his lips motioning her to be quiet, he turned slightly and pointed.

It was the mother deer and her fawn accompanied by a large buck; they hadn't seen Daryl or Beth, the fawn still jumping around. Beth and Daryl watched in silence as they walked right passed them, almost near enough to touch. Beth was smiling, she had never seen a deer that close before, "C'mon." he said as he placed his hand in the small of her back.

"Now where we goin'?" She asked

"We gotta find seeds for your garden, there's a market a few miles up the road, they should have 'em." Beth nodded and they set out for the car. Daryl found the small faint trail as Beth followed close behind, finally they made it to the car and set off down the road.

Daryl chewed his thumb and Beth was quiet, she didn't want it to be awkward between them, but she didn't know what to say. "So… How far is this market?" She finally said,

"Bout 4 miles," he said still looking ahead at the road. He didn't know what to say either, this morning was the happiest he had been in a long time, he'd never felt this way about anyone before. "you eat today?"

Beth gave him a sideways glance, "Yes Mr. Dixon, I had some peanut butter this morning before I made the garden."

"That ain't much." He mumbled. They went silent again as they pulled into the lot at the market. It was bigger than Beth was expecting, not only did they have seeds but riding lawn mowers, washing machines and even wood to make fences. "We'll need some of this," he said as he started grabbing wood planks.

"I'll go see if one of the trucks outside works, then I'll back it in." She left Daryl and headed back to the parking lot, there were several trucks to choose from, 'Hope they all have gas' she thought. The first couple trucks were no go's, either the tires were flat or the gas had been emptied. She sighed angrily and leaned against one of the trucks, she spotted one more truck a little ways up the road. She looked back at the store and back at the truck, she could make it. There was only one walker and she was way off in the other direction, one more glance backwards to make sure Daryl wasn't watching and she started jogging towards the truck.

It was in really good condition, tires looked good and the gas tank was nearly full, she opened the driver's side door only to have it be slammed shut.

"It's nice to see you again, Beth." Said a grisly voice, Beth froze, she knew that voice. She slowly turned around to see the man who had kidnapped her. "You shouldn't be noseyin' in other peoples' things, you'll get in trouble." He smirked.

Daryl was stacking a pile of wooden planks near the door, he stood and wiped his forehead, 'Where the hell is Beth?' he thought, he should have at least heard a trucks engine start by now. He stepped just outside the door; there was no sign of Beth. He walked around from truck to truck when he heard Beth scream. He turned quickly to see a man grabbing her arm, trying to force her into the truck. "Beth!" He screamed, he ran as fast as he could towards her, 'Not again!' he told himself. Beth was fighting hard against the man, he was three times her size, Daryl readied his crossbow as he got closer.

"Woah woah, slow down partner," Said the man, "no need to go all Rambo." He held Beth in front of him as a shield, his arm around her throat.

"Let her go." Daryl demanded as he aimed it at his head. He just laughed and squeezed Beth tighter, she whimpered under his strength.

"C'mon now," he drew a hand pistol from his pocket, cocked it and held it to Beth's head, tears running down her face, "let's not do anythin' stupid. I see you have my car, I'll be takin' it _and _the girl back." He snarled, Daryl hadn't moved, crossbow still drawn. "You know, we _can_ share." He smiled as he smelled Beth's hair, "not too many pretty things in this world anymore."

"You best let her go, 'fore I put a fuckin' arrow in your left eye."

The man scoffed, "Now y'see, an attitude like that just made me lose my cherub like demeanor," he said, he gripped Beth tighter causing her to squeak in pain "and now, I don't feel like sharing." Daryl heard the familiar cock of a gun and a sudden hard object against his left temple, a second man was now pointing a small pistol against his head. Daryl eyed him out of the corner of his eye but he never lowered his crossbow.

Beth squirmed trying to break free but every movement caused a tighter squeeze. "Settle down sweetheart, I know you've been missin' me, don't you worry, we'll have all night." He smiled "What do you say we give yer boy here a show?" He said as he spun Beth around grabbing her by the arm and throwing her to the ground, "You like to watch?" He asked Daryl with a sinister smile on his face. Beth tried to scamper away but the heavy man pined her down, sitting on her stomach. Daryl's heart was racing his anger building, "You make so much as one movement and my boy there'll put a bullet in your head!" He yelled as took a large hunting knife under Beth's shirt and pulled upwards, slicing from the bottom to the top of the collar exposing her.

She started crying and screaming, he tossed the hunting knife to the side and pressed one of his hands to her mouth, the other held her wrists up by her head. Daryl needed to move fast, he glanced over at the gun wielder who was obviously amused at what was about to happen. Daryl spun, hitting the gun with his crossbow and putting an arrow just below the man's right eye, he fell to the ground immediately. He then turned to the man who was attacking Beth, still on top of her, he grabbed his gun and pointed it at Daryl, Beth quickly grabbed the hunting knife and stabbed him in the thigh, but not before he fired off one shot.

He rolled off her, squirming in pain, "You fucking bastard!" She screamed as she jammed the hunting knife into his eye. She was in a rage, stab after stab after stab to the man's face, he didn't even look human anymore. Daryl ran over and pulled her off of him, she rolled into his chest and sobbed.

"Shh, it's gonna be ok." He whispered, he held her tight, one arm around her the other holding his crossbow. He winced as she let go, she noticed the blood on his shirt and she started sobbing again.

"You're shot!" She whimpered, hands running through her hair. 'What am I gonna do without him?' she started to panic.

"Beth… Beth," he was grabbing her, trying to calm her down, "Beth!" he shouted finally getting her attention, she began to breathe and calmed down. "I'm ok, it just grazed me, look." As he lifted his shirt, she could see where the bullet went through his right side and exited out his back, it would still need some stitches. "Trust me, I had an arrow through my other side and that was way worse. I bet we can find some first aid kits in the store, but I need you to stay close to me, can you do that?"

Beth just nodded her head as she held together her shirt, why is she so stupid, how could she have done something so reckless? She was almost kidnapped, again, and got Daryl shot. She's just a nuisance. She grabbed the hunting knife, Daryl got into the driver's side of the truck and backed it up to the store. Beth found a trailer and hitched it up, they loaded the wood Daryl had placed by the entrance and headed back into the store. They wandered around the store, going up and down every aisle. Beth found a black hoodie to wear, it was nice since it was getting colder, she was also surprised to find that the store had food. She grabbed every bag of Cheetos she could carry, bottled water, soda and even chocolate. Daryl found a large first aid kid, some rope, a ladder and wire, he told Beth he would show her how to make barbed wire for the fence he was going to build around the perimeter of the house.

They loaded up the truck until it was full, Beth got in the passenger side and stared out the window. Daryl could tell she felt guilty about what happened, "Hey, why don't you drive." He suggested, Beth's face lit up, she hadn't drove since they were first at the prison, she always loved driving big trucks. She smiled and scooted over to the driver's side as Daryl climbed in, she started the truck and headed back to the house.

Daryl had to point out where she needed to pull over into the woods, she would have passed it right up. "It's a good thing you know your way around these woods, I'd've been lost." She chuckled, Daryl smiled as she brought the truck to a stop, they both climbed out and hid it with the branches and leaves. "Before we bring anything heavy in, I need to stitch you up."

"I'll be fine, s'barely bleedin'" She gave him a look as she crossed her arms, damn those eyes. He sighed "alrigh', let's go."

They made the short walk back up to the house, Beth carrying the first aid kit, led Daryl to the bedroom and had him sit down. He removed his shirt and winced again as she helped lift it over his head, their eyes met briefly as Beth planted a soft kiss on his lips. Daryl couldn't believe the feelings he was getting for this girl, he'd never felt this way about anyone. "Well, let's do this." He said as he laid back on the bed.

Beth grabbed some alcohol swabs and cleaned the area, "You ready?" she asked, Daryl nodded "let me know if it's too much and you need a break." She took a deep breath as she threaded the needle and began stitching up his side, he only twinged at the initial stitch then was able to breathe through the rest. She couldn't believe how tough he was, Daryl had been shot, pierced with an arrow and beaten countless times, yet here he stood, she didn't know how he did it.

Finally, after about an hour, she was finished. She placed a large bandage over the stitches and gave it a small kiss. "You're done." She smiled. He rolled to his back and held out an arm, it took her a second to realize he was inviting her to lay with him. She climbed in and rested her head to his chest, his heartbeat was slow and his breathing was deep, she loved being able to lay with him. Daryl turned his head and kissed her head softly, she still smelled like the coconut shampoo and he couldn't help but smile.

"Are you ok?" She asked him

"I am now." He replied, giving her arm a squeeze.


End file.
